


Don't Forget Your Old Shipmate

by manicker



Category: Dungeons & Dragons - All Media Types, Oxventure (Web Series)
Genre: Angst, Fluff, Innuendo, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-04
Updated: 2021-02-04
Packaged: 2021-03-16 05:22:25
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,486
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29202039
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/manicker/pseuds/manicker
Summary: “So who’s the lucky lass?” She teased.“Oh, no, it’s nothing like that. I just want to look my best at the tavern tonight.”“What, for Dob’s thing?” She knitted her brows. “But it’s just going to be us there, and we all know what you look like without the makeup.”“I can just get dressed up, you know.” He said, squinting into Prudence’s mirror and using the little brush to darken his eyes. “Sometimes it’s just nice to look... Nice.”
Relationships: Corazon de Ballena | Corazon de Leon/Dob
Comments: 10
Kudos: 27





	Don't Forget Your Old Shipmate

**Author's Note:**

> I'm getting married next year, I own my own business and I just wrote five and a half thousand words about other people's Dungeons and Dragons characters getting it on.  
> This work is totally un-beta'd as I'm too chicken to ask anyone. I haven't written fic in nearly 10 years so please be nice.  
> CW: abandonment issues, food, alcohol

The path from Suzette’s cabin to the road was rough, and Corazón was the first to admit that his boots were made for looks and not ankle support. They had been walking for around an hour and a half, and the trees were beginning to thin around them. He wondered idly if he would still have the limp he’d gained from tripping on a particularly gnarly root tomorrow - perhaps he could convince some naive tavern wench that it was from some terrible wound he’d sustained heroically fighting a -

“Cthulhu's sake, Corazón, will you hurry up?” Prudence stood about 15 feet ahead of Corazón, her arms crossed. “The rest of us would like to reach town before nightfall.”

“I’m tired! My feet ache! And I’m not used to carrying my own bag, it messes with my workout routine. I already have an arm day, I don’t need two!” He whined, placing his hand delicately upon his forehead in the hope that it would elicit some sympathy from his travelling companions. “It’s no use, I’ll have to be carried.”

“Corazón, I’m not turning into a bear just so you don’t get too bulky.” Merilwen said, barely looking up from her map.

“Ugh! Dob would carry me AND the bag.” He shot a meaningful look at Merilwen. “And he wouldn’t have to turn into a bear to do it.”

“Whine harder, Percy.” Merilwen deadpanned, taking a swig from a leather-wrapped hip flask.

“Ugh!” Corazón moaned as he stumbled over an uneven patch of ground. “You two are so mean when the others aren’t here.”

“I resent that comment, Cor!” Prudence shot back. “I’m mean whether they’re here or not.”

“Course you are, Pru.” Merilwen cooed, patting the tiefling’s arm gently and scowling at Corazón.

“You’re a big red teddy bear.” Corazón grumbled.

“I am not! I’m the meanest! I am the darkness! I am pure concentrated evil!” She said shrilly, lip wobbling imperceptibly.

“Ok, time out,” Merilwen said hurriedly. “Let’s just sit down for a minute while I get my bearings.”

“Oh I see, when you need to “get your bearings” we can rest, but when my back is LITERALLY BREAKING under the weight of this bag, I just have to keep going, huh?” he said, flopping down on the opposite side of the log from Prudence.

Merilwen jabbed a finger into his chest with more than a little force. “Corazón, I swear to all that is mossy, I am about a minute from marching you back to that cabin and leaving you with Suzette. Do you want that?”

Corazón grumbled.

“In the common tongue, please?”

“No. She’s boring.” He affected a high pitched voice. “‘Oooh, I’m Dob’s long lost sister, I require 100% of his attention 100% of the time! No, he hasn’t got  _ time _ to listen to the ridiculously handsome pirate’s stories right now, he has to talk to  _ me _ about his  _ family _ !’ Idiot.” He scoffed.

Merilwen couldn’t help but raise an eyebrow. “Are you jealous of Dob’s sister?”

Corazón responded by barking out a derisive laugh. “No! As if I could be jealous because someone else has that big green disaster’s attention. I’m Corazón de Ballena, scourge of the several seas. I’m a living legend!” He let out a hearty chuckle. “Me, jealous of Dob’s sister, just because he hangs on her every word and looks at her like she’s the most interesting person in the room. Ridiculous. Really, Merilwen, I don’t know where you get these ideas.” He said, hoisting his pack on to his back. “Now, if you don’t mind, ladies, I’d like to reach the village before nightfall.

With that, he marched off ahead, whistling one of Dob’s songs as he went.

“Pru, do you have any of that kohl left?” Corazón said, letting himself into Prudence’s cabin. Finding it empty, he placed a hand on the dagger he had strapped to his hip. “Pru?”

“Up here.” She rasped.

“Shi- Prudence! We talked about spider climbing on the ship!” He shouted at the twisted body hanging from the ceiling, clutching his chest.

“Ugh, fine.” She said, scuttling down to the floor. “It wouldn’t have been a problem if you hadn’t barged in here unannounced. I could have been doing anything. I could have been naked!” She declared, drawing herself up to her full height.

Corazón shook his head. “You couldn’t have been naked, I didn’t hear any chanting.”

“That’s beside the point, young man!”

“We’re the same age, you mad witch.”

“You don’t know that! I could be ageless! I could be centuries old! I could be-”

“Pru, do you have the eyeliner or not?” He sighed, leaning back against the door frame.

“Oh, right. Yeah.” She said, brightening considerably. “The stuff we found in that market with all the cursed artefacts? The really dark stuff?” She rifled through a pouch on her desk and handed over a little glass pot. “Don’t mind the whispering when you open it.”

Corazón pulled a face but took it anyway.

“Do you need help putting it on again?”

“No, I’m ok.”

“So who’s the lucky lass?” She teased.

“Oh, no, it’s nothing like that. I just want to look my best at the tavern tonight.”

“What, for Dob’s thing?” She knitted her brows. “But it’s just going to be us there, and we all know what you look like without the makeup.”

“I can just get dressed up, you know.” He said, squinting into Prudence’s mirror and using the little brush to darken his eyes. “Sometimes it’s just nice to look... Nice.”

“Aww, Cor, you always look nice! You’re always covered in trinkets, and jangly, and…” She trailed off, searching for the right word. “Swashbuckle-y?”

“I know. I just want to look nice for… It’s Dob’s first gig in a while, I want him to know that we’re just as excited as he is, ok?” He mumbled, avoiding Prudence’s eye.

“So you want to look nice for Dob?” She teased.

“Prudence! I am simply a patron of the arts, and wish to show my respect for the institution of… the, er, tavern.”

“Oh.” She smirked. “It’s just the way you said it, it made it sound as if you were trying to do something nice for a friend.”

“Me? The Dread Pirate Corazón, getting dressed up for a simple Bard? Lining my eyes in black because he might have mentioned that it makes my eyes pop?” He scoffed. “No, I simply respect the music. Let it never be said that Corazón de Ballena is no friend to the arts. There! Perfect.” He said, popping the lid back on the kohl and leaving the room with a theatrical spin. “Onwards, to good music, good rum, and good company!”

“Huh.” Prudence said, to the empty room.

“Corazón! How do you do that knot again? The one that doesn’t come loose?” Egbert bellowed from the armoury.

“That could literally be any knot!” Corazón stepped carefully down the stairs into the armoury. Egbert had form leaving potentially explosive debris on the steps, and Corazón wasn’t about to ruin another pair of boots because of his friends' carelessness.

“You know the one I mean,” Egbert said. “The one that’s, er, tight.”

Corazón rolled his eyes, perching on a barrel of gunpowder at the bottom of the stairs. “Look, what do you need it for? We’ll look at that and figure it out from there, ok?”

“I just need to put this hammock up, and I don’t want it to fall.” He leaned towards Corazón and whispered conspiratorially. “Between you and me, some of these components are somewhat volatile.” He tapped the side of his nose and winked.

“What do you need a hammock for? I thought you slept over there.” Corazón gestured towards the little nest of gunpowder and blankets that contained a gently snoring seal and a slightly singed plushie.

“I do,” Egbert said, flashing the finger guns as if to praise Corazón’s skills of observation. “The hammock is for Dob.”

Corazón slipped off the barrel, swearing in thieves’ cant as his arse hit the floor. “Dob?! Dob is moving in here?!”

Egbert laughed. “No, no way! Seal Gaiman doesn’t like sharing his space. We’re just having a sleepover tonight. Dob’s going to try roasting marshmallows on my face while I sleep!” He said excitedly.

“Oh, thank the seas!” Corazón exhaled, repositioning himself on the barrel.

“Why “thank the seas”?” Egbert said, fiddling once more with the knot.

“Well, I just -” Corazón blustered. “I don’t, I - Well it wouldn’t work, you two. Living together, I mean.”

“We already live together, silly.” He said, rolling his eyes. “We just don’t sleep in the same room.”

“Well, no but…” Corazón trailed off.

“What?”

“I’m..” Corazón’s eyes darted around wildly. “I’m just concerned about fire safety.”

Egbert let out a tiny gust of fire as he snorted, causing a small explosion and waking a furious Seal Gaiman. When the smoke had cleared, he was still laughing. “I’m sorry, but you are in the wrong cabin if you want to talk about fire safety.”

Corazón, who had leapt halfway back up the stairs at the sound of the explosion, stalked back to his cabin, muttering filthy curses under his breath as he went.

Later, as Dob was skewering marshmallows on to some kindling he had found, Egbert remembered what he had wanted to tell Dob.

“Oh yeah! Cor was down here earlier!”

“Was he?”

“He was telling me off for having a sleepover with you.”

Dob frowned. He didn’t see why this would upset his friend, but he wasn’t always the best at realising when his behaviour was hurting other people, so he decided to dig a bit further. “What did he say?”

“Well, it sounded like he really didn’t want us sleeping in the same room for some reason.” Egbert said, lying back in his nest and wrapping an arm around Seal Gaiman.

“Oh. Why?”

“Well at first I was puzzled because he just kept saying that it “wouldn’t work”. He really seemed to hate the idea of us together.” Egbert said, scratching at his scales idly.

Dob’s brow furrowed. “Why would he mind us being in the same room? He knows we’re friends. We’re  _ all _ friends!”

“I don’t know. And after he’d stuttered a bit, he told me it was because he was concerned about fire safety!” Egbert cackled, sending a small jet of fire out and incinerating Dob’s marshmallow.

“That’s… weird.” Dob said, nibbling at the molten mess of sugar at the end of his stick.

“I know!” Egbert said. “I haven’t seen him so worked up about something since Prudence “borrowed” his clothes while he was in the bath.” Egbert sighed. “Oooh! How’s the marshmallow?”

Dob smiled. “Good, but the method needs more refinement.”

“I’m going to catch some Z’s.” Egbert yawned. “Do you need anything else?”

“No.” Dob curled up in the blankets Egbert had arranged for him on the floor. “Goodnight, Egbert.”

“Goodnight, Dob.” Egbert said, dampening his fingers in his drink and pinching the flame of his candle out.

In the dark, Dob frowned deeply. Why on earth would Corazón object to their sleepover? If he was that bothered about fire safety, he wouldn’t have let Egbert on board in the first place. And while Dob knew he was a little reckless with his own safety, he was very careful about not harming any of his friends in the process. And the way Egbert had been describing it, it sounded like he didn’t object to either of them separately, but hated the idea of them together. Well, that didn’t make any -

It’s probably nothing, he thought quickly. Couldn’t be that. Must just be a pirate thing he didn't know about.

Regardless of how much he told himself to put it out of his mind, Dob dreamt that night of wild hair and pale skin and sharp elbows.

Prudence reclined luxuriously on her towel. The sun was beating down on the deck, and she was enjoying the reddening of her skin. She reached out a powerful hand for her obnoxiously red cocktail and took a long sip. “I love summer.”

Merilwen purred, basking in the heat despite being in human form. “I’m warming to it.” She said, barely containing a giggle at her pun.

“Agreed,” Egbert said, gulping down a flagon of ale with an umbrella in it. “This heat is perfect. I’m really living my best lizard life right now.” His cocktail umbrella was smoking slightly.

“Well, I’m glad you’re all enjoying yourselves.” Corazón said from under an enormous, black parasol.

“You don’t have to be up here, you know. You could go and sit with Dob.” Egbert huffed. Dob, who had immediately downed a bottle of rum, laid down in full sun and got heatstroke before the others had even finished setting up their deck chairs, was currently banished to his hammock to sleep it off.

“I happen to be the captain of this ship, mister!” Corazón withdrew further into the shadows. “I can’t just disappear below decks when I feel like it! I have to be up here, you know, navigating!”

“We’re anchored!” Prudence laughed.

Corazón sighed. “It’s a heavy head that wears the captain’s hat.” He said, enigmatically staring into the middle distance.

“Poor Dob,” Merilwen said, stretching her back out in a distinctly catlike manner. “He was really miserable about that girl at port.”

“What, the halfling?” Egbert scoffed. “She just wouldn’t take a hint! Dob clearly wasn’t interested in her.”

“What halfling?” Corazón popped his head out from under his parasol.

“The redhead in the green cape,” Merilwen said. “Man, she had it bad for Dob.”

“Must have a thing for Orcs.” Prudence said, cackling.

“Well,” Corazón said, laying back in the shadows. “Can’t really blame her, can you. I mean, we all fancy Dob.”

Prudence immediately spat a mouthful of her drink out in a powerful spray. Egbert’s surprised burst of flame connected with it and created an impressive cloud of steam. Merilwen was somewhat more composed, but still struggling to keep her mouth closed.

“Do we?” Merilwen squeaked.

“Well yeah,” Corazón said, folding his arms behind his head nonchalantly. “It’s ok. He’s just a big, green, rugged, sensitive hunk with a heart of gold and the voice of an angel. Everyone fancies him. It’s cool.”

“Well,” Merilwen said slowly, still staring at Corazón. “I can’t speak for the other two but I don’t think I fancy Dob. Don’t get me wrong, he’s lovely, but he’s more like a brother to me.”

“And I think he’s great, as bards go,” Prudence added. “But he’s not my type. Not enough eyes. Or too many.”

Egbert, who had evidently been thinking very hard about this, scratched the back of his head. “Yeah I’ve thought about it, Corazón, and I don’t think I fancy him either.” He said finally.

Corazón, who had been getting steadily paler as they each spoke, rose slowly to sit and face the three of them. “I just- I just assumed-”

“Well, you know what happens when you assume!” Egbert guffawed as Merilwen smacked him across the back of the head. “Hey!”

Corazón stood up abruptly, swaying slightly. “I think I need a lie-down.”

Prudence stood up to meet him. “Do you need a hand?”

“No,” Corazón said. “No, I think - I think I want to be alone right now.” He said, stumbling towards the steps down to the crew quarters.

About a minute passed in silence before Egbert gasped.

“Oh! Cor has feelings for Dob!” He exclaimed, clapping a hand to his forehead.

Prudence was the first to see Dob after his convalescence, her eyes going wide and her mouth opening slightly. She had immediately pushed past him and scurried into her cabin, slamming the door behind her. Dob was left standing in the corridor, wondering what on earth he had done to offend her so much.

In the kitchen, Merilwen and Egbert had been eating their breakfast when they greeted him through gritted teeth. Dob wasn’t always the best at telling when people were uncomfortable around him, but the time he spent refilling his waterskins in the mess was the most awkward five minutes of his life. His ears burned furiously, and he could feel Merilwen and Egbert’s eyes on his back.

He furiously racked his brains for what he could have done to upset his friends. He hadn’t bathed in a few days, but that was because he’d been in bed. Surely they’d understand that. No one had minded when Egbert had gotten sick. But then, Egbert didn’t cause himself to be ill. Egbert didn’t get very drunk and sit in the sun and then have to spend days recovering. Egbert hadn’t endangered himself willingly.

He shook his head, decided to perform a quick prestidigitation spell to remove the worst of the grime, and resolved to head up to the deck to check there was enough water in the rain barrels for a bath.

Topside, the air was bracing, the warm weather having given way to grey skies and a brisk wind. He steeled himself against the cold as a fine mist of sea spray hit him. If he hadn’t been awake before, he certainly was now.

Corazón stood at the ship’s wheel, the same faraway look in his eyes he got when someone mentioned his father. He kept the ship steady, but his expression was blank; his shoulders were sloped as if his head was heavy on his shoulders. When he wanted everyone to know how sad he was, he would go wailing through the corridors or collapse theatrically on the chaise longues that he had strategically placed around the ship. This time, his eyes were dull, his expression drawn. It was as if the spark of lightning that gave Corazón his constant energy had been dampened, replaced simply with the roll of thunder.

“Hey, Cor.” Dob said, smiling gently. “Do you… do you think there’ll be enough water for a bath this morning?”

The pirate shrugged, keeping his eyes firmly on the horizon.

“Right. I’ll… I’ll just go and check then.” Dob tentatively placed a hand on Corazón’s arm, hoping to transfer some of the warmth in his heart to the miserable man who stood in front of him.

Corazón, for his part, flinched and pulled Dob’s wrist away. Holding it, almost bruisingly tight in his hand, he finally looked Dob in the eye. “Don’t do that.” He growled.

A month later, none of them had said more than a handful of words to him. Merilwen had tried, bless her, sitting down to listen to him playing his lute and trying to make conversation about his latest composition. She had smiled just a little too earnestly, squeezed his arm just a little too hard. He didn’t want to admit it at first, but it was becoming clear - he was no longer welcome onboard the Joyful Damnation, nor in the lives of his closest, dearest friends.

So that was how he found himself staring at the gangplank, ready to disembark the ship he thought would carry him for the rest of his days. He’d always had a fondness for the quirky little ship. She creaked and groaned as Dob did on cold mornings, one too many fights having rendered her a little scuffed and scarred over the years. Sometimes, when they were in harbour for a few days, the others would get rooms on land. Dob would almost always stay on board, letting the gentle rocking of the ship lull him to sleep as Suzette once did. He had never felt so safe as he did in the arms of the Joyful Damnation.

The last time they’d been in a port for longer than a day, Merilwen and Prudence went with Egbert to stay in an inn in the town. Merilwen said she couldn’t spend another night in a hammock, Prudence agreed and Egbert had heard that the local ales were excellent, so he’d gone with them. Corazón had stayed on the ship, shouting from his feather bed that they just weren’t used to the rugged, seafaring life.

When he heard Dob singing from below decks, he reluctantly got out the concertina and penny whistle he kept locked away in the captain’s quarters and they had sat together in the mess until the sun came up, teaching each other the songs of the mountains and the seas. They had both been exhausted and croaky the next day, but Dob figured it was worth it since he was pretty sure it was the best night of his life.

Now Cor wouldn’t even look him in the eye. Dob hunched his shoulders and took his first step out onto the gangplank. This was the right thing to do, he was sure, no matter what the pyjama-wearing pirate following him had to say.

“Dob!” He heard from behind him. “Dob! What in Geth are you doing? I heard the gangplank going out and I thought you were an intruder.” Corazón spotted the bag. “Are you… going somewhere?”

“Don’t make this harder than it needs to be, Corazón.”

“What do you mean?” He said, sheathing his rapier. “Are you going out? The town’s a bit dodgy.”

“Cor,” Dob sighed, putting down his bag. “I think it might be best if I go and stay with Suzette for a bit.”

“Why? Is she ok? Is she sick?”

“She’s fine. I just…” He bowed his head slightly. He didn’t really want to have to explain himself. “To be honest, I think I’d rather leave before I’m kicked out.”

“Kicked out of what?” Corazón said, slowly.

“Out of this,” Dob said, gesturing to the ship. “Out of the guild, off the ship. I know people get tired of me, it’s ok. I’m pretty full-on. Everyone is being kind but it’s pretty clear that it’s time for me to leave.” He smiled sadly.

“Dob-”

“I’m going to go and stay with Suzette for a while, maybe write some songs, play a few taverns on the way.”

“Dob, did somebody say something?”

His voice broke. “They didn’t have to.”

Corazón took a step backwards and exhaled raggedly. “Did I do something wrong?”

Dob’s eyes softened. “No. No, Cor. I did.”

The pirate barked out a laugh. “I can’t believe you’re giving me the old 'It’s not you, it’s me'.”

Dob frowned. “No, I meant that I know I made everything weird. Everything is different. You must have noticed it. This is the most anyone has said to me since the sunstroke.” The bard hung his head in shame.

Corazón’s jaw dropped. “What?!”

“Don’t pretend you hadn’t noticed. I made myself useful for three days.” Dob sniffled.

“No, you didn’t make it weird! I made it weird!” He grabbed Dob by his heavy wool shirt, balling the fabric up in his fists. “I’m the one who made everyone uncomfortable around us! Not you!”

“How did you - they’re uncomfortable around you too?” Dob said, scratching his head.

Corazón laughed. “They haven’t spoken to me in a month.”

Dob was struggling to process what he was hearing. “But why would they be angry at you because I got sunstroke?”

Corazón was almost dumbstruck. “They’re not angry at you!”

“Of course they are. They’re just too nice to tell me.”

“That makes no sense. Prudence isn’t too nice to tell someone she’s pissed off with them. I’m not either. And let’s be honest, when Merilwen has a problem with someone, they know about it.”

Dob frowned. “That’s a point.”

“The point is, it wasn’t the sunstroke.” Corazón said.

“What was it then? It must have happened while I was asleep. Was there an attack? Did I miss an attack?”

“There was no attack.” Corazón began to squirm. He was running out of options. He knew that he owed Dob the truth, but he didn’t know whether it would make a difference now anyway. He was desperate for Dob to stay, but even if Corazón was honest with him he might leave anyway. Every bone in his body was telling Corazón to keep the secret, not to embarrass himself again, how stupid it was to hope against hope that he wouldn’t be disgusted, or worse, indifferent.

“Then what? Why won’t anyone talk to me?” Dob raised his voice for the first time in a long time. “I’m not actually stupid, you know. I know when people are avoiding me.”

“They’re avoiding you because I said something. About you.” Corazón stared hard at a particular nail in the deck, avoiding Dob’s eye at all cost.

Dob blinked. “What did you say? Was it mean?”

He signed, reconciling himself to the inevitability of his confession. “I’m not going to get away with spinning you a pirate story this time, am I?”

“Cor, if you’re not going to tell me -” Dob began, turning away.

“I told them that I-” His breath caught in his throat. “I have feelings for someone.”

Dob rolled his eyes. “Is that all? Why didn’t you tell me? We could have just talked about it.”

He gulped. “Really?”

“Yeah. I would have loved to have met them.” Dob said, ignoring the roaring in his ears and the sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach. “Maybe we’d have been friends.”

Corazón let out a shaky laugh.

Dob glared at the pirate. “Don’t laugh at me.” He turned and stepped back out onto the gangplank.

“It’s you!” Corazón wailed.

Dob froze, breathing heavily. “It’s me what?”

“Please don’t make me say it.”

Dob turned slowly to face the pirate, desperately trying to quell the flame of hope that had sprung up uninvited in his gut. “Corazón de Ballena, if you don’t tell me exactly what you mean this instant and I am getting off this ship and I’m not coming back, and I mean it!”

“Oh for - I have feelings for you, you halfwit!” He laughed hoarsely, his head in his hands. “You’re all I think about! You’re all cuddly and gorgeous and when you walk into a room it feels like my chest is going to burst. I want to do filthy things to you and I want to hold your hand and I want to wake up every morning next to you.” His eyes filled with tears but he kept going. “If you want to go, I won’t stop you, but I need you to know that there will always be someone out there who -” His voice broke, and he drew the sleeve of his shirt across his face, trying to clear his eyes. “Who loves you.”

There was a moment of perfect stillness. They were both breathing hard, finally looking each other in the eyes. Dob’s mouth opened and closed as he tried to find the right words. After around a minute of hesitation, he quirked an eyebrow and half grinned. “How filthy?”

Corazón let out a desperate laugh that became a genuine giggle, and Dob joined him. They laughed and laughed, until Corazón found himself buried in Dob’s chest, big, warm arms enveloping the pirate as he silently cursed the tears that were now soaking into Dob’s travelling clothes. Pirates didn’t cry. Corazón wasn’t a small or delicate man by any measure, but any human would be dwarfed by the half-orc and he was beginning to feel impossibly weak and pathetic, snivelling in his friend’s arms

“Please don’t leave.” He whispered miserably.

“You promise everyone is just weird because of - this thing?”

“Promise. Swear on my boots.”

Dob chewed at his lip nervously. “Do you think it will go back to normal?”

“Eventually. I hope so.”

“I mean, they won’t mind, will they? Us being together?”

Corazón wrenched his head out of the hug to stare, dumbfounded at Dob. “Together?”

“Well yeah.”

“You mean, you want to - with me?”

“Want to be together? Yes.” Dob frowned. “I thought it was obvious.”

“Ok but, let’s just be 100% clear here. You don’t just want to be together as friends, you want to… You definitely, 100% want to...” He blushed slightly. “Be with me. As in, be my...” Partner? Boyfriend? Lover? Corazón cringed. None of that explained it.

“As in,” Dob said, sweeping the hair out of Corazón’s eyes and cradling his face in his hands. “I want you to be mine, and I want to be yours. If that’s ok.”

Corazón cleared his throat, attempting to strengthen his voice. “Alright then.”

“Cor?” Dob said, gnawing at his lip once more. “Can I... kiss you?”

Corazón let out a breath he didn’t know that he’d been holding. “Yes, please.”

Merilwen sighed as her head hit the table. “We can’t just come out and say it!”

“Why not? Aren’t we happy for them?” Egbert was sipping from an extremely strong cup of tea and rubbing his forehead.

“I’m not.” Prudence said, chewing on a piece of toast. “In fact, as a general rule, I’m not happy for anyone unless there are tentacles involved.”

“But seriously, isn’t this a good thing?” Egbert said, placing his tea down and tossing a scotch egg under the table for Seal Gaiman. “Ooh, I can make some fireworks spell out ‘Dob + Cor 5evr’ if you want.”

“Egbert, we don’t even know if they want us to know!”

“Well if they wanted to be private about it, they probably wouldn’t have had extremely loud sex on a boat full of their friends.”

“Egbert!” Merilwen cringed, placing her head in her hands.

“Merilwen!” He squeaked, mockingly.

“Guys!” Prudence flopped back in her chair, drawing a blanket around her shoulders. “We just need to follow their lead. They’re obviously still figuring stuff out themselves. I think we just need to focus on being good friends.”

Merilwen worried at her sleeves. “We have been a bit… distant with them lately. It's no wonder we didn't know.”

“Well, you guys told me not to say anything to them!” Egbert said, throwing his hands up.

“I just meant about Corazón's… outburst.” Merilwen said. “I just didn’t want them to feel weird about it.”

“But then Corazón wouldn’t talk about it and none of us could look Dob in the eye.” Prudence said sadly. “I haven’t taken the piss out of either of them for weeks.”

“I miss them too, Pru.” Egbert said, patting her on the shoulder cautiously.

“Maybe this will be good then,” Merilwen said, brightening. “It’ll break the tension. We’ll give it a few days, and then we’ll acknowledge it in a judgment-free way.”

“Is there a judgment-free way of saying “Corazón, can you please stop shouting “Thar she blows” when Dob-”

“Egbert!” The ladies hissed in unison.

Dob and Corazón pressed their ears to the door, stifling their giggles.

“This is even better than I thought it would be.” Dob said, sitting back on his heels.

“The “thar she blows” was a touch of genius, if I do say so myself.” Corazón said, from his position on the floor.

“What are we going to do next? You know, to keep it interesting.”

Corazón blushed. He hadn’t exactly been thinking ahead last night. What if Dob got bored? Did he need to come up with ways to keep their relationship "fresh"? It hadn't even been a full 12 hours yet. “I don’t know. Stuff.”

“Oh, Cor. Not  _ that, _ ” Dob smiled bashfully. “I meant to embarrass them.”

“Oh!” Corazón said, grinning widely in relief. “I’m thinking about employing a concertina next time."

“Nice! And, er, don’t worry about the other thing. I've plenty to keep me interested.” Dob said, pinching his hip.

“Piss off.” Corazón hissed, elbowing the orc in the ribs affectionately. “I think they’re going to be a while. Shall we go back to bed for a bit?”

“Alright.” Dob offered his pirate a hand as he pulled himself off the floor. “I can practice on your pennywhistle.” He deadpanned.

Corazón groaned, slipping a hand into Dob’s and leading him back towards the Captain’s quarters. “Don’t be such a Dob.”

“I’m your Dob now.” The orc said earnestly.

Corazón stopped. The light feeling in his stomach was replaced with a light little feathery flutter. The “new and exciting” feeling was great, but for the first time since last night, he allowed himself to consider that this might be a long term thing, not just a fun time with a friend. He imagined waking up next to Dob every single morning, getting used to his rattling snores, sleepy morning kisses and late-night cuddles “Promise?” He said in a quiet little voice.

Dob wrapped his arms around Corazón the way he was beginning to find calmed his pirate almost instantly. He wondered whether this was some hitherto undiscovered Bardic ability, or his pirate was just a big softie. Either way, it had the desired effect of Cor relaxing slightly in his arms. He pressed a kiss to the top of Corazón’s head. He had his friends back, he had his home back, and he had his pirate.

“I promise.”

**Author's Note:**

> Follow me on Tumblr for more wildly inconsistent content and/or obscure/ancient fandoms! wefightforrosestoo.tumblr.com
> 
> Disclaimer: These characters don't belong to me. I'm more than happy to take down anything that the creators see that makes them uncomfortable. My intention is not to infringe on the IP of OxBox or any individuals. (PS - Do we still write these disclaimers? I don't see them so much anymore, but the LiveJournal days traumatised me and I don't want to get Anne Rice'd.)


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